Primates of India

Meet the 23 primate species of India in this new compilation! Prints and merchandise shipped worldwide on my Redbubble store here. For t-shirts and prints within India, visit my Happywagon store.

Note that the White-cheeked Macaque, added to India's checklist in 2016 after being discovered from Arunachal Pradesh does not have an IUCN status yet as it is yet to be assessed (but will turn out to be endangered in all likelihood owing to its restricted range, habitat loss and hunting). The other species that do not have an IUCN status mentioned against them are of 'Least Concern' on the Red List. 

Uses of the Hoolock Gibbon's Really Long Arms

A comic on the amazing Hoolock Gibbon from my column with Mid-Day. Prints available on my webstore here. For orders within India, email me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com.

I first saw Hoolock Gibbons with my brother in Borjan Sanctuary in Eastern Assam, and thiiiiiiiiis is how excited we got!

Primates of Vietnam

Vietnam is a land of incredible biodiversity, specially when it comes to primates. With 25 species of primates, it is among the world's foremost primate-watching hotspots. However, with the exception of the Rhesus and Long-tailed Macaques, most of Vietnam's primates are facing grave threats from poaching, hunting and pet trade, and many are on the very brink of extinction. 7 of these species are critically endangered on IUCN's Red List, and feature on the list of the world's most endangered primates. 

Ravaged by war, Vietnam has had a rough ride with wildlife conservation. American troops stationed in Vietnam's forests during the Vietnam War used these incredibly beautiful primates for 'target-practice' (other than decimating Vietnam's forests with the dreadful Agent Orange). Before Vietnam's  ecology even had a chance to recover from chemical annihilation, in came traditional Chinese medicine, sweeping populations of wild animals for their body parts, particularly the langurs and gibbons. Bushmeat, poaching and the illegal pet trade continue to take a toll, pushing many of these species closer to extinction irreversibly.

The mini-map presents each of these 25 primates and their approximate ranges within Vietnam. Prints and merchandise are available on my webstore here. 

For orders within India, you can mail me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com. The prices are listed below-

A0 size (841 x 1189 mm, matte)- Rs. 3500 for the first print, 3000 for the second print onwards.

A0 size (841 x 1189 mm, canvas)- Rs. 5000 for the first print, 4500 for the second print onwards.

A1 size (594 x 841 mm, matte)- Rs. 3000 for the first print, 2500 for the second print onwards.

A1 size (594 x 841 mm, canvas)- Rs. 4500 for the first print, 4000 for the second print onwards.

A3- Rs. 500 for the first print, 200 for the second print onwards.

(PS- Vietnam has a primate rehabilitation centre (EPRC) at Cuc Phuong National Park, where many of these primates rescued from poachers and traders, are being cared for. The Centre has also successfully reintroduced rescued individuals into the wild. You can help the EPRC by making a donation here-http://www.eprc.asia/support-us/donate/)

Meet the Hoolock Gibbon

I first met Hoolock Gibbons earlier this year in eastern Assam, and instantly fell in love with the primate! Characterized by its (really) long arms which it uses for brachiation, the Hoolock Gibbon is one animal I'd love to be! Unfortunately, habitat loss poses a grave threat to the animal today, that needs vast stretches of rainforest habitat to survive.

The comic appears in my weekend column with Mid-Day.